Google, Google Fiber | featured news

Google Inc. will pay $1 for a municipal fiber-optic system that cost $39 million to build, according to terms of the Internet company's agreement with Provo. The deal is widely expected to be approved Tuesday by the City Council, making Provo the third city selected by Google for high-speed Internet and television service.

Google Fiber has a lot going for it, both as an ISP and a pay-TV platform. There was was one gaping hole in the service though: no HBO. Lets be honest with ourselves, its the big geeks that are looking to hop on that 1Gbps service first. And what do geeks love almost as much as blazing-fast Google-branded internet? Game of Thrones. Now Kansas City (and soon Austin) based nerds will be able to watch Joffrey become an even bigger monster live, rather than wait for some torrent site to get an illegal copy of it up (or, if they're smart, mooch off of someone's HBO GO account). Alongside HBO, Google Fiber has also added Cinemax: Home Box Office's less cool sibling. The branded families of channels are both available today for $20 a month or $10 a month respectively. Or, if you're a real premium TV fan, you can get both, plus STARZ and Showtime for $40 a month. Hit up the source for a few more details.

Google expands its super-fast broadband service to Austin, Texas, offering speeds of up to one gigabit per second.

Google (GOOG) is building a network of glass right to people's houses. But some broadband experts believe that Google is spending too much money to build the ultimately money-losing network. Moreover, consumers can get similar network speeds through DSL and WiFi -- with a much lower investment.

Google unveiled Fiber, its long-awaited Internet service that it says will operate at a speed 100 times faster than a typical broadband connection, in Kansas City. The company, which says it is trying to spur innovation, has put broadband providers on edge.